Scottish Executive

Cancer

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making with its cancer strategy.

Malcolm Chisholm: There are remaining challenges to address but implementation of the cancer strategy is making good progress with £25 million recurrent investment in equipment, staffing and new ways of working to improve services for patients.

Central Heating

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7353 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 15 April 2004, what the reasons are for the difference between the original estimate of £350 million in 2001 for the delivery of the free central heating programme and the current estimate of £180 million.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The original estimate was based on a figure of 140,000 eligible dwellings that could benefit under the central heating programme. This number was estimated from information contained in the 1996 House Condition Survey. From information that became available after the launch of the programme from local authorities, housing associations and from work undertaken on the 2002 House Condition Survey we now estimate that a total of around 70,000 eligible dwellings could benefit from the programme.

Central Heating

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7353 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 15 April 2004, whether the allocation of £350 million in 2001 for the delivery of the free central heating programme was ring-fenced and, if not, what the remaining £170 million has been allocated to.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The £350 million figure was an estimate of the possible cost of delivering the programme made at its launch in 2001 on the basis of a possible 140,000 eligible households. More up to date data has revised the number of eligible households to 70,000. The Executive’s commitment is to ensure that the central heating programme remains on track to deliver, to every eligible applicant who wants it and comes forward:

  Full central heating and insulation for every homeowner and private renter over 60 who had no central heating, or a central heating system that is broken beyond reasonable repair, by 2006 – as promised.

  Full central heating and insulation in housing associations and other social registered landlord properties during 2004 – as promised.

  Full central heating and related insulation installed in every council home in Scotland by April 2004 – as promised.

  Glasgow Housing Association is receiving separate funding to complete it’s own programme by 2007 – as promised.

Child Poverty

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a family’s ability to buy healthy food is taken into account by its measurements of child poverty.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics which are published annually give a range of measures of low income, including the widely accepted threshold of 60% of the median UK household income. The HBAI measures are adjusted for inflation and housing costs and equivalised to take account of the number of people in the household. No other adjustments are made.

  A copy of the latest HBAI figures for 2002-03 can be found at the following address:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/pages/news/2004/03/SEHBAIf.aspx.

Children and Young People

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people are educated at home and what the implications are for child protection.

Peter Peacock: In 2002-03, education authorities reported 480 children being home educated through parental choice.

  We are not aware of evidence that this has any implications for child protection. Child protection is everyone’s responsibility whether children are educated at home or elsewhere.

Congestion Charging

Mark Ballard (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government to ensure that the City of Edinburgh Council is allowed to use the full electoral register to hold a referendum on congestion charging.

Nicol Stephen: This is a matter for the City of Edinburgh Council and I understand that the Council has written to the Electoral Commission.

Courts

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the combined sheriff court and police station in Peebles will be operational.

Cathy Jamieson: I understand that discussions are continuing between the Scottish Borders Council, the Scottish Court Service and Lothian and Borders Police around the plans for the new joint facility. Once these are successfully concluded, I am advised that building work would be expected to be completed by end 2005.

Diabetes

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made on the standardisation of information leaflets for diabetes patients, families and friends.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Diabetes Group is currently developing a comprehensive set of patient information leaflets. In addition, steps are being taken to draw attention to the significant array of existing high quality patient information produced by NHS boards and by organisations such as Diabetes UK. This work will link in to the initiative by NHS24 to establish a single gateway to information.

Diabetes

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being put in place to ensure that patients with diabetes receive a full annual review.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of people with diabetes being reviewed in order to monitor the management and progression of their condition. It is a matter for NHS boards to put services in place to provide patients with the necessary health monitoring. Central support for the national diabetes IT system (SCI-DC) will greatly assist diabetes services to record the results of patient reviews and highlight which patients or which elements of the review are overdue.

Employment

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how, in light of the announcement of 1,000 job losses at Standard Life, it will ensure that employees from Midlothian are given every opportunity to secure alternative employment or training as soon as possible.

Mr Jim Wallace: Any job losses are deeply regrettable and we are doing everything possible to help those people affected find alternative employment as quickly as possible. Following the announcement I met Sandy Crombie, Group Chief Executive of Standard Life, and offered the Executive’s help to those staff affected. Support is being made available through the Executive's Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) framework. This should ensure a rapid response from local agencies in terms of offering advice, support and guidance on a wide range of retraining, upskilling and employment opportunities.

Enterprise

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its most recent information is regarding a company occupying the Motorola plant at Halbeath, Fife.

Mr Jim Wallace: The facility at Halbeath remains in the ownership of Motorola, which is in the process of spinning out its semiconductor interests into a new company to be known as Freescale. Decisions on the future of the facility will, in the first instance, be a matter for its owners but Scottish Development International continues to engage with Motorola and its semiconductor division to explore opportunities.

Enterprise

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of public money was invested in the Scotland the Brand project from 1995 to 2003.

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what level of public funds has been allocated to Scotland the Brand since its inception.

Mr Jim Wallace: Between its inception in 1995 and privatisation in 2003 the Scotland the Brand project received payments of £4,015,000 from Scottish Enterprise.

Enterprise

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the asset value of the Scotland the Brand trademark was when it was privatised.

Mr Jim Wallace: During the privatisation process it was decided that the Scotland country of origin device should remain in the ownership of Scottish Enterprise. No asset value was assigned because the intellectual property was not transferred to the privatised company.

Enterprise

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the total sum spent on consultants by it and its enterprise agencies was in respect of the Scotland the Brand project from 1995 to 2003.

Mr Jim Wallace: £1,445,000 was paid to consultants in respect of the Scotland the Brand project from 1995 to 2003, out of the total public funding of £4,015,000.

Environment

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will implement the EU ambient noise directive 2002/49/EC.

Allan Wilson: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the devolved administrations are at present considering the options for implementing Directive 2002/49/EC, with a consultation paper being finalised for issue to relevant stakeholders. It is anticipated that the consultation will take place in the second half of this year with the intention being to lay draft implementing regulations in the Scottish Parliament thereafter.

Environment

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will implement the EU ambient noise directive 2002/49/EC.

Allan Wilson: It is intended that the directive be implemented in the Scottish Parliament by way of regulations made under section 2(2) of the European Communities Act 1972.

Environment

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research has been undertaken into the health effects of ambient noise on (a) agricultural animals, (b) companion animals such as guide dogs, (c) zoo and circus animals and (d) wild animals.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has not funded any research into the effects of noise on any category of animal and has had no request to fund such research.

  There has been a considerable amount of research conducted elsewhere on the effects of noise on wild and agricultural animals and also some on zoo animals and kennelled dogs over the last ten years, both nationally and internationally. Research results have been published and are publicly available in a variety of scientific journals. However, we have no information on any research specifically investigating "health" effects except where animals have been used to investigate human disorders.

  We are not aware of any research that has been conducted into the effects of noise on circus animals or on categories of companion animals other than kennelled dogs.

Ferry Services

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with parties interested in establishing new ferry routes between Rosyth and mainland Europe.

Nicol Stephen: No organisations have approached the Scottish Executive indicating any interest in establishing new ferry routes. If they were to do so, we would consider with them what support we might be able to offer. While European State aid rules restrict the range of support we can offer, we would consider all possible means of encouraging new developments, including the possibility of a freight facilities grant, where it can be demonstrated that a new service would reduce lorry miles in Scotland.

Fuel Poverty

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) children and (b) elderly people are in fuel-poor households in (i) Glasgow, (ii) Edinburgh, (iii) Aberdeen, (iv) Stirling, (v) Inverness and (vi) Scotland as a whole.

Mary Mulligan: The local authority estimates of the number of children and elderly people in fuel poor households in the local authority areas of Glasgow City, City of Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and for Scotland as a whole, are taken from the 2002 Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) as given in the table below.

  

  
 Number of Children 
  Living in Fuel Poor Households
(000s)
 Number of Adults 
  Aged 60 Years or Over Living in Fuel Poor Households (000s)


 (i) Glasgow City
 9
 24


 (ii) City of Edinburgh
 4
 20


 (iii) Aberdeen
 1
 6


 (vi) Scotland
 46
 247



  Information is not available from the SHCS for Stirling and Inverness because the survey is only designed to report at local authority level rather than areas within local authorities. The closest equivalent are the estimates for the Stirling and Highland local authorities which are as given below.

  

  
 Number of Children 
  Living in Fuel Poor Households
(000s)
 Estimated Number 
  of Adults Aged 60 Years or Over Living in Fuel Poor Households
(000s)


 Stirling
 <1
 3


 Highland
 4
 18



  The 1996 SHCS did not provide data at local authority level. However, as can be seen below, the national estimates for the number of children and elderly people living in a fuel poor household have dropped dramatically.

  

  
 Number of Children 
  Living in Fuel Poor Households in 1996
(000s)
 Number of Adults 
  Aged 60 Years or Over Living in Fuel Poor Households in 
  1996
(000s)


 Scotland
 284
 517



  In this case we have been able to provide actual numbers of children and adults aged over 60 living in fuel poor households. Normally we report on the number of fuel poor households.

  Fuel poverty as a whole has dropped from 738,000 households in 1996 to 286,000 households in 2002.

Health

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will take account of local concerns regarding the provision of healthcare services in the Lothians.

Malcolm Chisholm: In the first place, NHS Lothian itself is responsible for engaging, informing and consulting the public about the provision of health care services in the Lothians. If NHS Lothian proposes major changes in services, it must obtain my prior approval. To do so, the board must demonstrate that it has complied with the department’s guidance on consultation, including the requirement to take account of views expressed by the public.

Higher Education

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Edinburgh University – Stanford University joint collaboration and whether any other such transatlantic linkages between Scottish and American institutions have been established.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Edinburgh-Stanford Link project, funded by Scottish Enterprise, has so far generated 12 joint research projects between the two universities and 10 collaborations with companies, since it was launched in February 2002. The project has recently signed its first consulting contract with Memex Technology Ltd of East Kilbride, one of the world’s leading intelligence software companies.

  Scottish Enterprise is currently assessing a number of other possible projects that involve collaboration between Scottish universities and those in North America.

Housing

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in releasing public land for the development of affordable housing.

Ms Margaret Curran: There are many potential uses for surplus public land, although it cannot be assumed that all is suitable for housing development. There are many examples of development, including affordable housing, on former public land but this is not a subject on which we collect data.

Housing

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have published a housing strategy and how many of the published strategies contain policies for reducing the incidence of empty houses.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to reply. Her response is as follows.

  The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 invites local authorities to submit a local housing strategy to Scottish ministers and to provide a copy to anyone else on request. There is no formal requirement for local authorities to "publish" a local housing strategy.

  To date, nine local authorities have submitted a local housing strategy to Communities Scotland for assessment. Eight of these have been assessed:

  City of Edinburgh Council, East Lothian Council, Glasgow City Council, Highland Council, Midlothian Council, North Lanarkshire Council, South Ayrshire Council and West Lothian Council. The remaining strategy was received recently and is awaiting assessment. All local authorities require to have submitted their local housing strategy by 30 April 2004.

  The issue of empty houses has been dealt with differently in each of the strategies assessed to date.

Information Technology

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, if there is not 100% broadband coverage across Scotland by the end of 2005, what new steps it will take to restore Scotland's competitive advantage over Northern Ireland.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer I gave to parliamentary questions S2W-5626 on 3 February 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Licensing

Paul Martin (Glasgow Springburn) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the results of the consultation exercise on the Nicholson Committee Report on liquor licensing.

Cathy Jamieson: The independent analysis of the consultation on the Nicholson Committee Report was published on 24 March 2004 and can be viewed on the Scottish Executive website.

Livestock

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure genetic diversity in small herds of cattle in remote areas following the withdrawal of livestock improvement schemes.

Allan Wilson: We remain convinced of the importance of support for cattle improvement in the crofting counties and will be working closely with key interests over the next three months to work up a replacement scheme with arrangements which will deliver this objective, give crofting groups far greater control over improvement of their stock and deliver planned and measurable genetic improvement. We also aim to ensure that these new arrangements are clearly compliant with state aid rules.

Livestock

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive when the results of the consultation on livestock improvement schemes will be made public and what the reasons are for withdrawing certain schemes prior to the release of these results.

Allan Wilson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-7131 on 5 April 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Local Government

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will meet organisers of local public festivals and local authorities to discuss any methods of providing insurance cover for such festivals.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive are prepared to meet organisers of local public festivals and local authorities to discuss arrangements concerning events, but it is for such organisers (including local authorities) to arrange the appropriate insurance cover for such events.

Mental Health

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what evaluation it has made of the impact of its mental health awareness campaign.

Mr Tom McCabe: The See Me national anti-stigma campaign is designed to help eliminate the stigma and discrimination experienced by people with mental health problems.

  Evaluation of the impact of See Me is an integral element of the campaign. The public’s awareness of the campaign has been measured by regular omnibus surveys. The results to date are as follows:

  In December 2002, 29% of those surveyed showed spontaneous, unprompted recall of the campaign. By March 2003, this figure had reached 45% after further advertising. In September 2003, the figure settled back to 29% (six months after the end of the first phase of advertising). However, the figure rose again in November 2003 to 41%, following the launch of the second phase of the campaign with new campaign materials and advertising.

  The surveys have also found that over 90% of the people interviewed said they understood the main message of the campaign – that people with mental health problems should not be stigmatised.

Modern Apprenticeships

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the Modern Apprenticeship (MA) programme is developing and whether standards are improving.

Lewis Macdonald: I am delighted to announce that we have met our partnership commitment to increase the apprenticeship programme to 30,000 by 2006. There are now over 31,000 MAs in training which is an outstanding achievement and illustrates the popularity of the programme with both participants and employers.

  Our focus for the programme going forward will be on strengthening quality and increasing completion rates, while recognising that many who do not complete have used their MA as a stepping stone to other employment, further or higher education.

NHS Waiting Lists

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how long the waiting list is for orthopaedic out-patients in Argyll and Clyde and what steps it is taking to reduce orthopaedic waiting times in Argyll and Clyde and across Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the number of patients waiting for an out-patient consultation is not collected centrally at present. Work is underway across the NHS to record the number of patients referred to each consultant-led out-patient service and the related waiting times for patients.

  As part of its out-patients programme, the Centre for Change and Innovation will be launching a national redesign of out-patient orthopaedic services later this month. This project will focus on improving queue management, patient booking systems, referral management services and the extended role of nurses and allied health professionals in the outpatient setting.

  The programme has already invested £240,000 in NHS Argyll and Clyde to implement a patient focussed booking initiative.

NHS Waiting Lists

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are in place to control the quality and extent of information provided by NHS boards to patients regarding appointments and waiting times.

Malcolm Chisholm: Good quality information is an integral part of good quality health care, as well as an essential feature of the patient-focused services that NHSScotland is striving to provide.

  A Draft Guide to the Production and Provision of Information about Health and Healthcare Interventions was consulted upon earlier in the year and has been welcomed as a useful guide for the health service. The document will be revised to reflect the comments received and reissued as guidelines as part of the development of a Patient Information Strategy.

  We expect NHS boards to advise patients of waiting times standards and their expected waiting time, as set out in Managing Waiting Times – A Good Practice Guide, which is available at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/health/mwtg-00.asp.

Ports and Harbours

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional funding will be considered to address accelerated low water corrosion in steel marine structures in harbours.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-7237 on 30 April 2004 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Ports and Harbours

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the grant aided expenditure allocated to each appropriate local authority takes account of the necessity to dredge small working harbours.

Mr Andy Kerr: In 2004-05, grant aided expenditure of £2.655 million is allocated to nine local authorities to support harbours and airports. As agreed with COSLA, the allocation of this support is based on historical trends in the local authorities’ budgeted expenditure for these services. It is for each of these local authorities to then decide how best to allocate these resources based on local needs and priorities, such as dredging small harbours.

Ports and Harbours

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what sources of funding are available for the upkeep and maintenance of small working harbours.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive does not, in general, subsidise harbour operations or fund associated capital investment. Public money spent on ports infrastructure or operational costs could distort competition between ports. The policy is set out in Modern Ports: A UK Policy , published in November 2000, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 9874).

  The Executive has two grant schemes that support harbour works, namely, for the provision of harbour facilities supporting lifeline ferry services in the Highlands and Islands, and for emergency repairs to fishery harbours. Funding support may also be available from local enterprise companies, the European Union and the National Lottery Fund.

  More generally, the funding of the upkeep and maintenance of small working harbours would fall to be met from harbour authorities’ income, including dues levied on vessels using a harbour.

Ports and Harbours

Alex Johnstone (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available to port and harbour authorities to assist in meeting the costs of dredging ports or harbours.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive does not, in general, subsidise harbour operations or fund associated capital investment. Public money spent on ports infrastructure or operational costs could distort competition between ports. The policy is set out in Modern Ports: A UK Policy , published in November 2000, a copy of which is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 9874).

  The Executive has two grant schemes that support harbour works, namely, for the provision of harbour facilities supporting lifeline ferry services in the Highlands and Islands, and for emergency repairs to fishery harbours. Funding support may also be available from local enterprise companies, the European Union and the National Lottery Fund.

  Responsibility for the upkeep and maintenance of harbours, including dredging requirements consistent with expected usage, is a matter for the relevant harbour authority or owner. The main source of income for harbour authorities is usually harbour dues levied on vessels using a harbour.

Prison Service

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take following the judgement of Lord Bonomy in the Napier case concerning slopping out in prisons.

Cathy Jamieson: We are considering Lord Bonomy’s judgement carefully including the possible grounds for appeal. In the meantime we will continue work to improve the prison estate, including investment equivalent to around £1 million per week.

Prison Service

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons have been learned from HM Inspectorate of Prisons: Report on HM Prison Shotts .

Cathy Jamieson: HM Inspector of Prisons: Report on HMP Shotts , published on 22 April, noted that, I quote, "The Governor and staff have made real efforts to move on from the incidents in the prison in January 2003 and these efforts have been successful." That has been the result of careful action by the management and staff, but that needs to be sustained over the coming months.

Public Appointments

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive which organisation is responsible for the operation of its phone line for applications public appointments.

Mr Andy Kerr: The contract was awarded to Response Handling Ltd after a competitive tendering exercise.

Public Private Partnerships

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on advisers’ fees for PPP and PFI projects in each year since 1999.

Mr Andy Kerr: PPP projects concern large investment over a long period of time. Initial development and support costs reap benefits over a large number of projects – over 80 completed procurement to date at a value of over £2.5 billion. The following table shows how much the Scottish Executive has commissioned and spent on advisers’ fees for PPP development and support for specific projects in each year since 1999. Details of adviser’s fees on other PPP projects are not held centrally.

  

 Year
 Amount (£)
 Reason


 1999
 Nil
  


 2000
 Nil
  


 2001
 315,000
 M77 tender preparation and issue


 2002
 25,270
 Work on development of Scottish Schools 
  Standard PPP Contract


 2002
 15,727
 M74 Motorway – scoping exercise


 2002
 230,094
 M77 tender co-ordination, negotiation and 
  award


 2003
 38,540
 M74 Motorway – further work on scoping 
  exercise


 2003
 1,762
 Presentation at Scottish Executive’s 
  Workshop on Scottish Schools Standard PPP Contract Payment 
  Mechanism


 2003
 21,136
 Drafting work on Technical Guidance Note 
  on Scoping of Services and In-house Involvement in PPPs


 2003
 32,955
 Carrying out Key Stage Reviews on schools 
  projects prior to issue of Invitation to Negotiate/appointment 
  of Preferred Bidder


 2003
 235,000
 Support for development of Non Profit Distributing 
  Organisation model and piloting in Argyll and Bute schools 
  (part payment)


 2003
 19,093
 Advice on application of Scottish Schools 
  Standard PPP Contract for individual schools projects


 2004
 44,158
 Carrying out Key Stage Reviews on schools 
  projects prior to issue of Invitation to Negotiate/appointment 
  of Preferred Bidder


 2004
 176,250
 Support for development of Non Profit Distributing 
  Organisation model and piloting in Argyll & Bute schools


 2004
 11,750
 Advice on application of Scottish Schools 
  Standard PPP Contract for individual schools projects


 2004
 16,391
 Support for East Lothian Council following 
  one of the members of the PPP consortia being placed in 
  administration


 2004
 13,113
 Support for Skye Bridge review

Public Transport

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to make public transport less vulnerable to crime.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive continues to work in partnership with local authorities, transport providers and others on a range of measures to make public transport more attractive to passengers. These can involve specific crime prevention objectives, such as the £2.2 million programme of CCTV and Customer Information System installation at rail stations across the South East of Scotland, and the introduction of a bus CCTV system operating on almost the entire fleet in Dundee, which is part of the City Council’s Smart Bus project.

Public Transport

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to improve local bus services.

Nicol Stephen: A range of measures is in place to improve local bus services, including the toolkit of options contained in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 and the new Bus Route Development Grant scheme launched last month.

Rail Network

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the preferred bidder for the ScotRail franchise.

Nicol Stephen: The evaluation of the bids is underway at present, and a preferred bidder will be announced in due course.

Renewable Energy

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has in relation to granting consent to offshore renewable energy generation plants outwith the 12 nautical mile territorial sea limit around Scotland and what powers it will have once the UK Energy Bill is enacted.

Lewis Macdonald: The Executive has no such powers at present. We have agreed with DTI ministers that the powers to grant these consents in the renewable energy zones will be executively devolved to the Scottish ministers. We are also in discussion with Her Majesty’s Government about future arrangements in respect of other provisions in the Energy Bill concerned with renewable energy installations in these waters, including public rights of navigation, the creation of safety zones and powers to ensure that plans for the decommissioning of these installations are approved at the time of consent.

Renewable Energy

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what facilities are currently available for the manufacture and processing of biofuels.

Nicol Stephen: There are currently a number of small biodiesel plants in Scotland, but the details of all of these are not held centrally.

Residential Care

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered care homes there are.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Care Commission has confirmed there were 1,780 registered care home services on 27 April 2004.

Residential Care

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered care homes have had an advisory visit from the fire service following the Rosepark Care Home fire, broken down by local authority area, and, of these, how many the fire service reported as unsatisfactory to the Care Commission and, of these, how many are local authority-owned.

Hugh Henry: As at 18 April 2004 the eight Scottish Fire Brigades had carried out 1,204 advisory visits to residential care premises in their brigade areas as set out in the following table.

  


Brigade

Number 
  of Visits



Central Scotland Fire Brigade

72



Dumfries and Galloway Fire 
  Brigade 45

45



Fife Fire and Rescue Service

121



Grampian Fire and Rescue Service

115



Highland and Islands Fire Brigade

98



Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade

230



Strathclyde Fire Brigade

359



Tayside Fire Brigade

164



Total

1,204



  This number of advisory visits represents approximately 65% of residential care services registered by the Care Commission in Scotland. Brigades will be continuing these visits, which have been welcomed by staff and residents, until all care premises have been covered. In some 80% of the visits, recommendations have been made about improvements in fire safety. These were generally of a minor nature. The Care Commission has only moved to formal enforcement action in one case. However, for all visits which have resulted in recommendations being made, the Care Commission has asked the providers of the service for action plans with timescales and is seeking the advice of brigades on these plans where necessary. The information sought on ownership details is not held centrally.

Residential Care

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in respect of the inspection of care homes by fire services and when it expects to publish a report on the inspections.

Hugh Henry: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-7679 on 6 May 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search

  The visits undertaken by the eight Scottish fire brigades are advisory visits to residential care premises rather than formal fire safety inspections. As such there is no intention to publish a detailed report on the outcome of the advisory visits.

Residential Care

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a report on the outcome of inspections and investigations at the Rosepark Care Home.

Hugh Henry: Until a conclusion has been reached on the investigation being undertaken by the Area Procurator Fiscal, it would be inappropriate for the Executive to make any comment on the investigations of the Rosepark Care Home tragedy.

Roads

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when a copy of the A9 junctions safety review of Keir and Inveralmond roundabouts will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Nicol Stephen: BEAR Scotland Ltd has completed their review of all of the junctions on the A9 between Keir Roundabout, Dunblane and Broxden Roundabout, Perth and their strategy report is currently being finalised. A summary of the recommendations contained in the report will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre in May 2004.

Scottish Executive Departments

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult with appropriate trade unions when selecting the location of the headquarters of its proposed transport agency.

Nicol Stephen: Yes.

Scottish Executive Expenditure

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much each of its (a) departments, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies have spent on (i) advertising and (ii) information campaigns in each year since 1990-91 and what its estimate is for such costs for 2003-04.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information in the form requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  

 Health Dept
 Spend (£)
 Justice Dept
 Spend (£)


 Alcohol
 833,139
 Domestic Abuse
 355,197


 Breathing Space
 85,469
 Fire
 326,527


 Drug Misuse
 879,631
 Re-offending
 25,830


 Flu& Pneumococcal
 498,508
 Safer Scotland
 259,297


 Healthy Eating/Living
 1,850,335
 Total
 966,851


 Organ Donation
 148,164


 Total
 4,295,246



  

 ELLD
 Spend (£)
 Education
 Spend (£)


 Broadband
 213,336
 Care
 490,036


 Regional Selective Assistance
 78,594
 Child Protection on Internet
 99,338


 Total
 291,930
 Children’s Hearings
 217,158


 Home Reading 
 
155,739


 Total 
 
962,631



  

 SERAD
 Spend (£)
 Development
 Spend (£)


 Cattle Tracing
 56,170
 Digital Scotland
 240,498


 Environment
 574,133
 Drink Drive
 243,471


 SEERAD
 31,488
 Drug Drive
 307,343


Total
661,791
Foolsspeed
410,898


Road Safety (WHO)
 
 
23,537


Race
 
 
510,531


Travel Awareness
 
 
265,927


Young Driver
 
 
71,044


Total
 
 
2,073,249



  


FCSD

Spend (£)



Dog Fouling

72,302



Total

72,302



Grand Total

9,324,000

Scottish Executive Expenditure

David McLetchie (Edinburgh Pentlands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34385 by Mr Andy Kerr on 11 March 2003, what its budget out-turn was for press and communications in (a) 2002-03 and (b) 2003-04.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Media and Communication (M&C) Division’s out-turn spend for administration costs (staffing and office overhead costs) in 2002-03 was £3,646,610. The estimated out-turn spend for 2003-04 is £4.1 million. The increase in spend is principally as a result of; M&C taking over lead responsibility for the development and operation of the corporate website, payment of the corporate Newspaper Licensing Agency fee and an increase in the costs of some of the external services purchased by M&C, e.g. press cuttings and media monitoring.

Scottish Executive Procurement

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how often its procurement decisions have been challenged under the provisions of the Government Procurement Agreement.

Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is not aware of any challenges to its procurement decisions under the World Trade Organization’s Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). The GPA contains provisions similar to the European Union’s Procurement Directives and provides equivalent rights to suppliers based outside the EU in GPA signatory states.

Scottish Executive Staff

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff have been (a) investigated, (b) suspended, (c) dismissed, (d) prosecuted and (e) convicted for involvement in fraud in each of the last four years and how much money was involved in each case.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive has robust systems in place that are designed to minimise the possibility of fraud and, when necessary, to highlight that fraud may have occurred. In the last four years while there have been detailed examinations of potential financial irregularity, no Scottish Executive employees have been investigated, suspended and dismissed for fraud.

Sport

Cathie Craigie (Cumbernauld and Kilsyth) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that adequate sports facilities are available in all Scotland’s communities.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Executive is committed to working with partners to ensure that target 8 of Sport 21 is achieved. This will ensure that 70% of Scots have access to a sports hall within a 20 minute walk.

  Local authorities are the primary providers of sports and leisure facilities and we are working with them to ensure that local communities have access to sufficient facilities to address their needs.

Student Loans

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the costs to it are of monies loaned by the Student Loans Company.

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it costs the Student Loans Company for each £1 it loans.

Mr Jim Wallace: The costs to the Executive are the long-run resource cost of providing student loans to Scottish domiciled students and a proportionate share of the running cost of the Student Loans Company. The most recent estimate for 2003-04 suggests that this average cost is 38.3p in every £1 loaned. The student loans cash budget for 2003-04 was £224 million, which gives an estimated resource cost of £86 million.

  The Scottish Executive’s share of the running costs budget of the Student Loans Company is £5.178 million for 2003-04.

Tourism

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how it proposes to triple the number of businesses and organisations in the accreditation scheme for green tourism, as stated in the ministerial statement on tourism on 11 March 2004.

Mr Frank McAveety: VisitScotland aim to increase by a third each year for the next three years the membership of the Green Tourism Business Scheme. How they achieve this aim is an operational matter for VisitScotland and the Tourism and Environment Forum.

Transport

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why rail passenger numbers are falling in the Strathclyde Passenger Transport area, given the Executive’s policy of transferring road travellers to rail.

Nicol Stephen: Passenger numbers in the Strathclyde Passenger Transport area have increased by 9.4% over the last year.

Transport

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs it anticipates will be created by the establishment of its proposed transport agency.

Nicol Stephen: Decisions on the precise size of the proposed national transport agency have still to be made.

Transport

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what factors will be taken into account when deciding the location of its proposed transport agency.

Nicol Stephen: Ministers will consider the location of the proposed national transport agency, within the context of the Scottish Executive’s relocation policy.

Transport

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for the decision on the location of the headquarters of its proposed transport agency.

Nicol Stephen: Ministers have not yet agreed the timetable for considering the location of the proposed national transport agency.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Gaelic

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Presiding Officer when it will publish its Gaelic policy.

  The member has provided the following Gaelic translation:

  A dh' fhaighneachd de Bhuidhinn Chorporra Pàrlamaid na h-Alba cuine a tha i an dùil a poileasaidh Gàidhlig fhoillseachadh.

Andrew Welsh (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): The Parliament is currently reviewing its language policy, which covers Gaelic and other languages, and a report will be made to the Corporate Body before the summer recess.

Andrew Welsh (as leth Buidheann Chorporra Pàrlamaid na h-Alba): Tha a' Phàrlamaid a-nis ag ath-sgrùdadh a poileasaidh cànain aig an àm seo, a tha a’ dèiligeadh ris a’ Ghàidhlig agus ri cànanan eile, agus thèid aithisg a dhèanamh do Bhuidheann Chorporra Pàrlamaid na h-Alba ro fhosadh an t-samhraidh.

Scottish Parliament and Business Exchange

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Presiding Officer, with reference to the minutes of its meeting of 7 October 2003, whether it will place a copy of the Scottish Parliament and Business Exchange’s review of operations in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Andrew Welsh (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): A copy of the Scottish Parliament and Business Exchange review entitled The Way Forward published in September 2003 is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 32595).

Tartan Day

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer how many invitations it received from organisations and legislatures in the United States of America inviting ministers, parliamentarians and officials to attend Tartan Day events this year and how many such invitations were accepted.

George Reid: : The parliamentary delegation (including officials) received and accepted invitations to attend the following Tartan Day events:

  Kirkin’ of the Tartans church service

  Tartan Day parade

  VisitScotland Business Tourism Media Lunch

  Dressed to Kilt reception

  Icons of Scotland awards dinner

  Due to other commitments, the delegation was unable to accept invitations to:

  Matt McGinn tribute concert

  The First Minister’s address at Columbia University

  National Tartan Day Committee and Friends of Scotland Reception

  I also accepted an invitation to deliver a Palm Sunday reading at Brick Presbyterian Church in New York, and attended the UK Ambassador’s Tartan Day reception in Washington DC.

  The Parliament participated in an event in Central Park with other Scottish partners which showcased the best of Scotland; and co-hosted a Tartan Day reception in New York with the Scottish Executive.

  The delegation also undertook a number of other visits and meetings whilst in the United States, including the United Nations, the Carnegie Foundation, New York Police Department and City Hall, New York.

  The Parliamentary Bureau agreed that we should develop links with Canadian legislatures on this occasion, and in this regard, the delegation visited the National Assembly of Quebec.